Jar opener



March 21, 1939. J HQHMANN 2,151,209

JAR OPENER Filed NOV. 26, 1937 nikm 511:

Joseph BJ-fblamann %m w. W M,

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAR OPENER Joseph B. Hohmann, Forest Grove, Oreg.

Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,725

7 1 Claim.

This invention relates, to a new and useful improvement in a jaropener and has for one of its objects to provide an opener which will break the vacuum in a sealed jar before lifting the lid. 5 Another object of the invention is to provide jan opener capable of opening small or wide mouth ars. A further object of this invention is to provide an opener which will remove a jar top without injury to the top, jar or the sealing gasket.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference being had to the acm companyins drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a jar with my device in position to be used.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the top portion of a'jar with my invention in its operathe position.

Fig.3isaperspectiveviewofthejarlidand gasket held by the tool, after being removed from the jar.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the tool with a small mouth jar top held therein.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the finger member inserted under a gasket. In the drawing like numerals indicate like parts in all of the figures and the numeral i indicates the cover engaging member narrowed down as at 6 and flanged as at 1. 2 indicates a lever forked at 24 and-2b to receive the flange 1 which is-pivoted to the forks at 8. The lever 2 carries a projectingfingerlwhichisgroovedas at 5 toallow air from outside to enter the jar. it indicates the entrance of the groove I and lithe curved front edge of l.

laiar, i'ajarcoverand ll agasket. A pivoted cover engaging member I2 is provided to be used on small mouth jars. It may be moved in and out of position through the slot II.

In operation, the cover eng g z member is placed in position as shown in Fig. 1 and the lever swung in toward the jar which brings the vacuum 5 breaking finger into its position under the gasket as shown in Fig. 2, thus compressing the gasket at the place of engagement with the finger and bringing the entrance H of the groove 5 in position to permit air to enter the jar (see arrow Fig. 10 2). The finger 4 being curved as it is at I allows it to pass under the gasket without damage thereto. The vacuum being now released, the cover may be readily lifted off as shown in Fig. 3. The cover, when lifted off may be retained within 15 the grasp of the device.

The member I2 is provided so that small mouth jars may be opened. In operation the member I! is lowered through the slot i3 so that its crotch will engage the rim of the cover at one place 20 while the flange of the member i engages the cover at a second place, see Fig. 4.

The device described herein is believed to embody improved safety features not found in other similar devices. There is less chance of breaking or chipping, the glass jar top or cutting the gasket with this device, which breaks the vacuum before the top is lifted, than there ,would be with a device which prys or wedges the cover 01!.

What I claim is: n

In a jar opener, a cover engaging member having a slot in itstop side, an auxiliary cover engaging member pivotally mounted on said cover 

